Editing and Creative Consulting Services

Prepare your project for submission—and publication—TODAY!

With over 16 years’ experience in the publishing industry acquiring, editing, and developing hundreds of titles, ranging from award-winning picture books to novelty/board books, cookbooks, and gift products, I am pleased to offer editing, creative consulting, and coaching services to writers, artists/illustrators, and any creator striving to realize their creative vision.

My goal is to help you create your best work. Whether your aim is to get published by a traditional or hybrid publisher or to self-publish, I will work with you to strengthen your ideas, polish your manuscript or project, and bring forth your work’s creative potential.

My focus is on honoring your vision while making your project strong, commercial, and irresistible.

When we work together, you will:

• Experience an editor’s review of your work, and deepen your understanding of what publishers are looking for when acquiring projects for their lists

• Find out how to maximize your project’s commercial appeal

• Understand the market and how to successfully create within it

• Learn how to improve and enhance your manuscript draft/illustrated project from an expert

And more!

The following services are available:

“Get Prepared to Publish!” Package for Picture Books, Board Books/Novelty Board Books, and Early Readers: $1,200

This package is for the creator ready to revise and prepare a manuscript for submission (or publication, if you choose to self-publish). This is a fast-paced—yet tailored to your schedule—program that is geared toward polishing your work so that it is ready for submission or self-publication. This package includes 3 rounds of line edits, 3 hour-long phone/video meetings (or 6 half-hour meetings), an edited query letter, and a list of comp titles. By the end of this program, you will have a strong query letter and edited manuscript or illustrated picture book dummy ready for submission to an agent or publisher. (Please note that this service does NOT guarantee publication nor agent representation. The goal of this package and all services on this page is to prepare a submission-ready project only.)

Manuscript Editing Packages

If you have a picture book (fiction or non-fiction), board book, novelty book, or early reader/beginning reader manuscript in progress or completed, and your next step is refining it further or seeking an agent or submitting directly to a publisher, this review is for you. (I also review and edit illustrated projects for the Adult Trade market. Please inquire for rates via the form below.)

Standard Picture Book Edit Package: $400

This package comes with a line edit of one picture book project and comments noted throughout your manuscript or picture book dummy, an Editorial Letter outlining detailed feedback and suggestions for next steps, and an hour-long video consult.

Deluxe Picture Book Edit Package: $500

This package comes with a line edit of one picture book project and comments noted throughout your manuscript or picture book dummy, manuscript formatting (pagination), an Editorial Letter outlining detailed feedback and suggestions for next steps, a query letter draft, and an hour-long video consult. 

Video Consultations

I offer 1/2-hour and hour-long video consultations to discuss your project or idea and to explore the most impactful ways to move your vision forward. These consults are for creators who have a manuscript draft or picture book dummy, as well as for those who don’t and want assistance with brainstorming, idea generation, and jumpstarting the writing and creative process.

As part of this video consult, I will review your project or idea verbally and we will use the time as a working session. Recurring consults are also available (weekly, bi-monthly, monthly) at a 10% discounted rate, and as 3-session series packages.

½ hour: $125

1 hour: $225

Video Consult Packages

Three 1/2-hour sessions: $300

Three 1-hour sessions: $600

Query Letter Edit Packages

Deluxe query letter package: $200

Complete drafting of a query letter (including comp titles) for a picture book project. Query letter may be tailored for agent representation or submission to a publisher.

Standard query letter edit: $100

This package comes with a line edit of your query letter, including suggested comp (competitive) titles.

Additional Editing Packages

Standard Board Book/Novelty Board Book Edit Package: $250

This package comes with a line edit and comments noted throughout your manuscript, an Editorial Letter outlining detailed feedback and suggestions for next steps, and an hour-long phone/video consult.

Deluxe Board Book/Novelty Board Book Edit Package: $350

This package comes with a line edit and comments noted throughout your manuscript, as well as an Editorial Letter outlining detailed feedback and suggestions for next steps, a query letter draft, and an hour-long video consult.

Standard Early Reader/Beginning Reader Edit Package: $550

This package comes with a line edit and comments noted throughout your manuscript, an Editorial Letter outlining detailed feedback and suggestions for next steps, and an hour-long phone/video consult.

Deluxe Early Reader/Beginning Reader Edit Package: $600

This package comes with a line edit and comments noted throughout your manuscript, as well as an Editorial Letter outlining detailed feedback and suggestions for next steps, a query letter draft, and an hour-long video consult.

In-depth review of an Adult Trade illustrated or craft book proposal and sample (up to 3) chapters: $700

This package provides one round of extensive notes and suggested edits throughout the proposal and sample book text. (For a query letter draft add-on: $900).

Written critiques

I offer written critiques of picture books, wordless picture books, board books, novelty books, and early reader/beginning readers. Completed critiques are presented as a 2-page PDF with an in-depth written review of your work covering the following topics: what’s currently working, what should be modified, as well as detailed suggestions for taking your work to the next level. Work to be critiqued must be submitted as a Word doc, Google doc, or PDF/scan. (Please note that a written critique does not include a line edit. Line edits are included in “Manuscript editing” packages.)

Picture Book Written Critique: $125

Board Book Written Critique (includes 3 board books in a series as part of this package; stand-alone board books must be submitted separately): $125

Written review (of an online portfolio or a submitted PDF of up to 30 pieces of art): $125

Early Reader/Beginning Reader Written Critique: $150

Kids’ Activity Book Written Critique: $150

Kids’ Cookbook Written Critique: $150

3-month Picture Book Mentorship: $2,500

This is a guided 3-month program that focuses on your picture book manuscript or picture book dummy. The goal is to help tailor your work-in-progress as well as your portfolio (if you are an illustrator) to the children's market, and will focus on how to best parlay your talents to secure the attention of agents and publishers. This package includes 5 hours of video meetings over the course of 3 months where we will edit and develop your picture book and delve into your portfolio (if you are an illustrator) to locate opportunities for additional projects. This 3-month mentorship also includes access to me as you develop your work; I will provide support, guidance, and advice via email and our meetings together throughout the process. As part of this "Mentorship Package," I will help you to draft a query letter to agents and I will provide you with competitive titles that help to best position your work. While I cannot promise representation, I would be happy to share names of agents that might be a good fit for your work (and do what I can to facilitate an introduction, when possible). (If this mentorship is a fit for you but doesn’t align with your budget, I am happy to work with you on the pricing.)

6-month Picture Book Mentorship: $5,000

This is a guided 6-month program that focuses on the development of three picture projects or illustrated projects. The goal is to help tailor your works-in-progress as well as your portfolio (if you are an illustrator) to the children's market, and will focus on how to best parlay your talents to secure the attention of agents and publishers. This mentorship includes 10 hours of meetings (or 20 half-hour meetings), the editing of up to 3 picture books/illustrated projects, as well as 3 drafted query letters. This 6-month mentorship also includes access to me as you develop your work; I will provide support, guidance, and advice via email and our meetings together and throughout the process. While I cannot promise or guarantee representation, I would be happy to share names of agents that might be a good fit for your work (and do what I can to facilitate an introduction, when possible). (If this mentorship is a fit for you but doesn’t align with your budget, I am happy to work with you on the pricing.)

To book one of the above services or to inquire about an editing package or an editorial review tailored to your specific project, please fill out the form below or email naomikirstencreative@gmail.com.

When emailing or filling out this form, please include your service type in the “subject” field. (Please note that by filling out this form, you consent to sharing your email with me for the sole purpose of reaching out to you about freelance editing and creative consulting services. Email addresses submitted will only be used for the purpose of replying to queries for services. Otherwise, emails will be immediately deleted. Email addresses and personal information will never be stored or shared.)

By submitting this form, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions.